The Creepy Piglet PS2 Game's Resurgence Explained

Sometimes there's an old game that randomly soars back into popularity, and Piglet's Big Game is one of the latest of these sudden resurrections. The aim is to be a horror comedy game for children, Piglet's Big Game has found a surprising new following, as the PS2 and GameCube versions of the title have become huge on the internet. The game caught the attention of many for its unexpected similarity to Silent Hill 2which causes the director of Piglet's Big Game to even deal with the surprising surge in popularity.

After the success of Silent Hill 2 remake, that's likely Piglet's Big Game could have been rediscovered based on people wanting a similar experience and stumbling across the title. Although not directly inspired by the original Silent Hill 2director of Piglet's Big Game has confirmed other survival horror franchise Resident Evil served as a huge source of inspiration when it came to the game.

Piglet's Big Game gets a new lease of life over 20 years later

An unexpected gaming trend for November

Director Pascal Stradella not only confirmed the game's Resident Evil inspiration, but he also shared outlines of the original intentions for Piglet's Big Game at X. Development documents for the game state: “The game is a horror-comedy aimed at children. With 'horror' the aim is not to scare them but to make them feel uncomfortable, to give them just the right amount of chills so they don't completely comfortable as they progress through the game.” This unique blend of children's play and horror has fascinated many, as Piglet has been a character that many players have grown up with. Since Piglet is known to have a lot of fear and anxiety, a game based on him with a horror focus provides a unique experience for children. While some likely return to the game for nostalgic purposes, there are also plenty of people who were completely unaware that such a game existed.

Pascal Stradella also shared a game design draft called
Luigi's mansion
as the main reference for
Piglet's Big Game
.

The price of the piglet's big game is skyrocketing

Due to the viral popularity of the obscure title, the price of Piglet's Big Game saw a huge rise, with some eBay listings going as high as $300 USD. The surprise of seeing a family-friendly character like Piglet search through a large house that largely resembles the Spencer Mansion from Resident Evil is such a huge contrast that it has struck a chord with a whole new audience. The game was released back in 2003 and premiered to mixed reviews, and until now it had been lost.

Gameplay and story features

• Seven levels task Pig with exploring his friends' dreams and helping them with problems.
• Enemies in the form of Heffalumps, Woozles, creepy trees and a talking door.
• A “Brave Face” mechanic that Piglet must use to scare away enemies.
• Other playable characters include Pooh and Tigger.

Piglet's Big Game
served as a tie game to
Piglet's Big Movie
which was released the same year.

Piglet's Big Game demonstrates the power of virality

Returning to Long-Forgotten Games

As the videos have continued to spread since early November, Piglet's Big Game has made a splash that many probably never expected. It is unknown what caused such a surprising surge in attention for the game, but the success of Silent Hill 2s remake seems to be a safe bet. Considered by some on the internet as “Baby's First Horror Game”, Piglet's Big Game is a fun reminder that there is definitely a market for more family-friendly horror.

Although the hype around Piglet's Big Game probably won't last long, it's always fascinating to see what old games suddenly get new attention. With so many survival horror games in the industry, Piglet's Big Game is an unorthodox, but welcome, addition.